The winners of the 2009 AHR EXPO® Innovation Awards have been announced and will be honored at the HVAC/R industry’s leading event at Chicago’s McCormick Place on January 26th.

Winners of the 7th AHR EXPO Innovation Awards Competition represent the best submissions from the thousands of products on display at the 2009 AHR EXPO. Honorees span the industrial marketplace in a total of nine product categories, ranging from the latest developments in green technology to the newest building automation tools.

The 2009 AHR EXPO Innovation Award Winners are:

BUILDING AUTOMATION
Company: AEC Design Group
Product: ArtrA BIM asset management

COOLING
Company: Danfoss, Inc.
Product: Apexx VSH Series variable speed scroll compressors for commercial air conditioning

GREEN BUILDING
Company: Ice Energy
Product: Ice Bear 30 hybrid air conditioner

HEATING
Company: Unitary Products division of Johnson Controls
Product: York Affinity 98 Percent AFUE Modulating Gas Furnace

INDOOR AIR QUALITY
Company: ROTRONIC
Product: HygroClip2 humidity and temperature probe

REFRIGERATION
Company: Danfoss, Inc.
Product: AKD 102 ADAP-KOOL Drive

SOFTWARE
Company: Mc4 Software
Product: Mc4 Suite multiuse software

TOOLS & INSTRUMENTS
Company: UEi
Product: Smart Bell Combustion Meter

VENTILATION
Company: Twin City Fan Companies, Ltd.
Product: Aero Acoustic Diffuser for Plenum/Plug Fans

The following companies received Honorable Mentions for their innovative new products:

BUILDING AUTOMATION- Honorable Mentions
Company: American Auto-Matrix
Product: BBC-SD (BACnet Building Controller Small Display)

Company: Delta Controls
Product: Delta Controls Touchscreen - HMI, BACnet Operator Display
Company: Lynxspring, Inc.
Product: JENEsys snap! energy management system

Company: FieldServer Technologies
Product: ProtoCessor OEM industrial protocol module

Company: Reliable Controls® Corporation
Product: SMART-Space Controller

COOLING – Honorable Mentions
Company: Fujitsu General America, Inc.
Product: Fujitsu 9 and 12RLS Mini-Split heat pumps

Company: Tecumseh Products Co.
Product: NITE/Masterflux Compressors

Company: Grundfos Pumps Corp.
Product: PACO VMS/VSMS Pumps

GREEN BUILDING – Honorable Mentions
Company: EnOcean Inc.
Product: Hotel Room Retro-fit Kit

Company: Muller Industries Australia Pty. Ltd.
Product: Muller 3C

Company: Distech Controls, Inc.
Product: Wireless Battery-less Sensing and DDC Controllers

HEATING – Honorable Mentions
Company: Grundfos Pumps Corp.
Product: Grundfos MAGNA circulator pump

Company: WILO USA LLC
Product: Stratos ECO residential circulator

Company: Webster Engineering & Manufacturing Co., LLC
Product: Temp A Trim air temperature monitor

Company: Heat Transfer Products, Inc.
Product: The Elite Plus Heating Boiler

INDOOR AIR QUALITY – Honorable Mentions
Company: Munters Corporation
Product: Oasis EPX, Indirect Evaporative Cooler

Company: Vital Technologies, Inc.
Product: Vital Air DryMax minisplit dehumidifier

Company: Unitary Products division of Johnson Controls
Product: York Affinity UVC Germicidal Light

REFRIGERATION – Honorable Mention
Company: Triatomic Environmental, Inc.
Product: Fresh-Aire ICE-UV germicidal UV light system

SOFTWARE – Honorable Mentions
Company: Maxwell Systems, Inc.
Product: Integrated Construction Business Management Software Solutions

Company: Emerson Climate Technologies
Product: System Design Simulator Software

TOOLS & INSTRUMENTS – Honorable Mentions
Company: SpeedClean
Product: CoilJet coil cleaning

Company: Emerson Climate Technologies
Product: Copeland PerformanceAlert Diagnostics Module

Company: Fluke Corporation
Product: Fluke TiR Thermal Imaging Camera

VENTILATION – Honorable Mentions
Company: Arzel Zoning Technology, Inc.
Product: CoolMizer economizer/ventilation control for split systems

Company: Wellington Drive Technologies US Inc.
Product: ECR92 EC Condenser and Evaporator Fan

Company: Thermotion Corporation
Product: Thermo-magnetic actuator

A panel of judges consisting of ASHRAE members selected the Innovation Award winners based on their exceptional knowledge of the industry and its products. Product entries were judged for their innovative design, application, value to end users and market impact.

Winners of the Innovation Awards will receive special placards to place in their booths as well as an etched crystal award to be displayed at their company headquarters. In addition, one of the nine winners will be selected and announced at the Show as the 2009 AHR EXPO Product of the Year.

Entry Fees Benefit Local Charity Building Project
In addition to recognizing outstanding product innovation, all entry fees from the 2009 AHR Expo Innovation Awards Competition will be donated to HomeAid Chicago, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the living conditions at reputable shelters.  Since the program was launched in 2003, thousands of dollars have been donated to several technical schools’ scholarship funds. This year, the grant will help fund one of HomeAid’s upcoming projects, the renovation of a domestic violence shelter in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago.

“In addition to providing well-deserved recognition to companies that have introduced innovative technology, the AHR EXPO Innovation Awards benefit the overall HVAC/R industry by showcasing valuable solutions to challenges faced by many of our attendees” said Clay Stevens, President of International Exposition Company, which produces and manages the AHR EXPO.